Feral
by teamtoaster
Summary: One night Thorin finds refuge in the house of a strange woman in the outskirts of Bree. While being nursed back to health an uneasy friendship blooms between the pair that will turn into something much more. This story is set before the events of the Hobbit some twenty years but will go through all the way to the end. Thorin X OC.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello lovelies and welcome to my story! As you can see I am a huge fan of the Hobbit and of our favorite Dwarf King and was devastated with how his story ended as were we all. I've read a lot of Thorin X OC stories in my time and decided it was finally time to add in my two cents. And so this story was born. As this is my first time posting here, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Now that that's out of the way, on with the story!

The orcs had surprised him; a dangerous mistake on his part. Thorin had been sleeping, too tired to stay awake another night on the road he had drifted off. That was when they had struck, hard and fast. The dwarf king had managed to kill two of them in the sudden battle but had taken a sword to the side in the initial attack.

He hissed through his teeth, swinging his sword in an arc in front of him, cleaving the orc in two. His side throbbed painfully in protest to the movement but he had no time to stop before he was warding off another blow. There were still three orcs left and he was losing blood fast. He couldn't believe he had been so foolish to fall into this situation. His eyes swept over the orcs who sneered and snapped at him, taking perverse pleasure in watching him weaken. They hung back, content to simply watch him bleed out without having to risk going toe to toe with the dwarf.

I can't take them in this condition, Thorin thought to himself as he slowly backed away from the group. There was a river behind him; he could hear the rushing water. If he could get to it, he could get to Bree and safety. While he was loath to run from a fight Thorin was not stupid. Before the orcs realised what he was doing he turned and ran for the river. They shrieked and hissed in anger and quickly pursued him.

The night was dark and the forest darker. There was no moon tonight to light his way so Thorin had to rely on his ears to guide him. His side was burning now and he could feel the blood trickling down from the wound and seeping through his clothes.

If he didn't get help soon….he banished the though from his head. No he would be fine if he kept going.

The river came into sight just as the orcs where drawing near. He sent a quick thanks to Mahal that there were no wargs with them or he would have been done for.

Wasting no time the dwarf charged into the river, ignoring the icy cold as it bit into his skin. The orcs skidded to a stop brandishing their weapons at him and cursing in their foul tongue.

But they did not cross the river. Something kept them back and with a last withering look the orcs turned back, leaving an exhausted Thorin staring after them. He collapsed on the bank, breathing hard but alive. Though not for much longer if this wound wasn't taken care of. He dragged himself upright and staggered forwards hopefully towards Bree. However his vision began to darken and he lost his footing again.

So this is how it ends he found himself wondering, Thorin Oakenshield dying in a ditch in the middle of the woods.

A dark shadow moved towards him as unconsciousness claimed him.

There was a sharp stinging in his side, as well as a pulling feeling. These were the first sensations Thorin felt as he returned to the living.

His eyes shot open and he surged upwards, reaching for his sword only to be pushed firmly backwards.

"Stay still; you'll open your wound again otherwise"

He was not alone. Slowly the dwarf turned his head to see a woman sat next to him, patiently stitching his wound. She was tall, he could tell even if she was sitting down, taller than any other human he had ever seen. If she even was human. Her eye colour was not one he had seen before in the race of man, a deep golden colour. However it was only one eye he realised quickly as she turned her head to grab some bandages. Her right eye was pearly white, a ragged scar marring her otherwise caramel skin from her hair ling to the bottom of her jaw.

When she saw him staring she smiled though the scar distorted it slightly.

"How do you feel?" her voice had an accent Thorin also noted, she was not from these lands, but from the East. That did explain her tanned skin.

"Much better" he said slowly sitting up but never once taking his eyes off this strange woman. There was something not right about her, his warrior instincts screamed that she has dangerous a predator in her own right. The woman smiled again at his answer, showing for the first time her sharp teeth.

"Well that's good" she seemed pleased with herself, leaning back to take a better look at her handy work. It seemed in good order and she nodded to herself.

"Where am I?" Thorin finally asked. He didn't like this, in a vulnerable state and in a stranger's home half a world away from any of his kin.

"You are in my home Master Dwarf, a half a day's walk from Bree"

So he had over shot his mark, Thorin lay his head down again. Well at least he was alive, that was soothing to be thankful for.

"And who are you?"

If the woman noticed the edge to his voice she didn't show it, simply bowed her head before answering

"Orana, Master Dwarf. Might I know your name?"

When he did not answer the woman rolled her eyes slightly and stood. It was only then that he realised how tall she really was, she was easily seven foot. He quickly glanced around the small home and saw that everything else was built larger than normal to compensate. Next he glanced down at himself and realised that he was lying on this woman's dining room table. It had been covered in fur pelts to make it comfortable while he had been unconscious.

While Thorin continued his silent inspection of his surroundings, Orana had moved around the table and into the kitchen, grabbing bits and bobs and she went before moving back to her patient. She set down the various herbs and began to grind up a salve for the dwarfs wounds.

"So what brings you this way Master Dwarf?" she asked good naturedly but she was meet with a stony silence. The dwarf refused to look at her or even acknowledge her presence.

Collecting the salve she spread it across the wound, digging into it slightly. Thorin quickly jolted, spinning around to glare to the woman "Durins sake woman are you even a healer?"

Orana smirked and began to reapply the salve with a much gentler hand this time.

"I can assure you that I know what I'm doing Master Dwarf. You should be more grateful, I could have let you die out in the woods but I brought you into my home instead" she shot the dwarf a pointed look and he at least had the decency to look ashamed before he schooled his face once more.

Not much for small talk then, Orana shook her head and focused on her work.

"Thorin" the dwarfs deep timbre voice cut the silence. Orana looked up but the dwarf would not look at her, instead he looked out the window.

Thorin felt the healer pause in her work and out of the corner of his eye saw her lips twitch before she quickly went back to her work.

What neither knew was that this small act would lead to a lifelong friendship and more than its fair share of trouble.

So what do you think? Leave a review and let me know :)


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hello Lovelies! Another chapter so soon, I'm on a roll today. So I just wanted to put a bit of a warning here, this story will probably get a little dark and be dealing with PTSD in some parts. Just a warning in case people don't like that sort of thing.

Any how, thank you to those who have favourited and followed this story and reviewed, it makes me very happy to know that there are people who like reading what I'm writing and it was a great incentive to get this chapter up and finished. We see a lot more from Thorin's perspective in this chapter and how he perceives our lovely Orana and we see a bit of possible backstory for her so hope you enjoy :).

Orana glanced over at the dwarf set up on her table. With luck and a fair bit of patience he'd be better in a day or two. Thankfully over her many years she'd learned a thing or two about patience.

The dwarf had fallen asleep again, his mouth slightly open and softly snoring. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her face at the sight. He was a prickly thing to be sure but most dwarves were wary of strangers so that was nothing new. She wondered what the dwarf was doing here so far from the Iron Hills. Absently scratching her scar Orana came to the conclusion that he could be heading to Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains. Yes that made sense, the dwarves had become scattered after the fall of Erebor so it was not so strange to see them travelling between the two strongholds.

Orana turned back to the sleeping dwarf, two bowls of stew in hand. She set one bowl down near his head while quietly pulling up a chair next to him. Setting the other bowl down, she peeked under the dwarfs bandages. Her remaining golden eye scrutinised the wound. It seemed to be healing well, the swelling had already begun to go down which was a good sign. As long as the wound didn't reopen and the dwarf didn't do anything stupid he should avoid infection.

"Well?"

The dwarfs gruff voice made Orana jolt, her eyes snapping upwards to the now very awake dwarf. He cocked a brow at her and she let the bandage return to its normal place.

"So far it looks like it will heal nicely" she said, pushing the bowl of stew towards him. He glanced at it suspiciously but slowly took the offered bowl, his hunger winning out. The stew was the first substantial meal he'd had in days and it took all his will power not to gulp it down all at once. He caught the eye of Orana who was trying very hard not to show her amusement and apparently failing because Thorin shot her a scowl.

"What are you?" he demanded suddenly, bowl forgotten. Orana didn't look up from her stew. She didn't even look at him as she answered.

"The one healing and feeding you Master Oakenshield, you'd do well to remember some manners in my home" she suddenly looked up, catching his gaze, golden eye blazing.

"Oakenshield" his blood turned to ice. He had never mentioned Oakenshield to her. Suddenly he was off the table. He felt something pop and realised he'd torn his stiches but that didn't stop him from grabbing his sword.

"Who are you? How do you know me?" he growled.

Orana cursed and stood, holding her hands up in surrender. She took a step forward but the sword pointed at her chest stopped her in her tracks.

"My name is Orana, I have no last name" she said slowly "I mean you no harm"

"How do you know me? I will not ask a second time!"

"If I wanted you dead Master Oakenshield I would have left you in that ditch" she finally snapped, startling Thorin with the venom in her words. She huffed a frustrated breath, calming herself down before continuing.

"I know of you. We have met before, in passing. It was a long time ago and you were not quite in the right mind when we did"

Thorin cast his mind back but did not lower the sword from her heart. There was something…familiar about her but he didn't recall….

"Moria" he finally said looking at her again "You were at Moria"

Her eyes, he did remember those eyes but couldn't recall anything else, his memories from Moria were fuzzy but that was what lack of sleep, food and water did to you in the middle of a battle.

Orana let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and nodded in relief. Thorin slowly lowered his sword but the tension did not dissipate.

"You are not a healer" It was a statement not a question.

"No" Slowly, not removing her eyes from that of the dwarf's she returned to her abandoned seat.

"How could you tell?"

Thorin remained where he was standing. These latest revelations had done nothing to make him lower his guard towards her. In fact it might have done the opposite. Vulnerable in the house of an unknown warrior of what race he did not know, it was dangerous indeed.

"I knew as soon as I woke up" Orana did not seem surprised by this "You carry yourself like a warrior, one who's seen their fair share of battles"

That made her chuckle, though it was not a happy sound.

"You're very right Master Oakenshield" the woman touched her scar "Orcs gave me this scar and have done more wrong to me than you can imagine"

"That is doubtful" the dwarf spat, his mind immediately going to his Grandfather and Father. What does this woman know about anything of life's hardships? She had not lost her home or her family. She had not been reduced to begging in the streets. No she knew nothing.

Orana launched to her feet, towering over the dwarf and thrust her finger in his direction

"Do not presume to know me dwarf!" she thundered "I have more right than you to hate Orcs, more than you will ever know!"

Thorin watched in rapt horror as the woman began to change before his eyes. Her nails grew dark and stretched, turning to wicked claws while her sharp teeth grew even longer and gleamed with deadly intent. She looked like a demon from the old tales and its fury was fixed on him. In that moment, Thorin thought that the woman would lunge but with a roar she spun and slammed her fist into the table instead. The wood cracked under the weight of the blow.

Orana breathed deeply, her eyes screwed shut and bowed her head. Her stance had changed so quickly it left Thorin reeling. It went from that of a predator to that of a woman who was…ashamed?

"I-I" Orana faltered "Forgive me" she brushed past Thorin, going straight for the door and threw it open. She glanced back at the bewildered dwarf but quickly looked away

"Everything you need to stitch up your wound is in the bottom chest to the left in the kitchen".

And then she was gone, disappeared into the night leaving Thorin alone to stare after her. Slowly the dwarf king walked over to the chest she had mentioned and gathered some thread and a needle. As he began stitching up his newly reopened wound Thorin tried to figure out what had just happened. It was clear now, very clear that this Orana woman was not a human, not that he had ever really thought she was in the first case; this simply confirmed it. What he had seen…he would not have believed if he hadn't seen it for himself. That rage, that madness…it was its own beast. It was something he had seen before in his grandfather Thrain's eyes. But Thrain's sickness was that of greed, the Dragon sickness. This? This was something else entirely; something not born of greed but of fear. Thorin could not help but pity the woman. Her fear was a sickness of the mind, something that had grown over many years. Perhaps she had been right in saying that she had lost more than he ever had to the Orcs, at least his mind was his own. His stomach twisted when he realised that she must have been their prisoner and for many years to cause such a thing. His fist tightened around the needle at the thought. Dwarven woman were few and far between and it was simply instinct for male dwarves to want to protect them and keep them safe. He could not stop the sudden images of what may have befallen the woman while in their grasp. She was a warrior and incredibly strong if the split table was anything to go by; to subdue her would have been no easy feat.

Thorin shook his head. It would do no good to dwell on uncertainties; however he had made up his mind about one thing. He wanted answers. Seeing as he was stuck here until he was fit to travel, some answers were justified.

With that in mind Thorin finished his stitching then gathered some of the fur pelts before he settled into the over sized armchair. He was asleep in moments.

Orana did not return to her home that night.

AN: And the plot thickens hahaha. I'd love some reviews to tell me how I'm going with this, if Thorin is in character or how you like Orana so far. As always thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Lovelies! I'm so sorry that it's been almost two weeks since I last updated, I had hoped to publish a new chapter once a week if I could but I just got swamped with work.**

 **BUT! First of all I'd just like to thank all who have favourited and followed my story so far. You guys have no idea how much it means to me and I'm really glad that you enjoy reading it because I love writing it.**

 **Well here's the latest chapter, I hope you enjoy!**

It was not until late morning that Orana finally did reappear. She slunk into the house like a wounded animal, shoulders hunched and head bowed.

"We need to talk"

She winced but turned to face the dwarf who was standing with his arms crossed in front of her, preventing any chance of escape.

Thorin scrutinised the woman. She looked terrible, pale and sickly with dark circles under her eyes while her dark hair was in disarray. She did nothing, in fact she ignored him. Orana's eyes hardened and she brushed past the dwarf into the kitchen where Thorin followed with a scowl.

"What in Durins name happened to you last night?" he demanded

"None of your business dwarf" the tone of her voice made it abundantly clear that she did not want to discuss it. But Thorin had other plans. As she turned to move around him again he grabbed her arm in an iron grip. Her head snapped down to him and she bared her teeth in a silent snarl.

"Unhand me. Now" she growled, bending down so they were at eye level. Thorin did not look away from her defiant stare but matched it with his own

"I will not, not until you have told me what happened last night"

"It is none of your business!" she all but snarled

"It does if it means you will transform into a beast and slit my throat while I sleep"

The woman jolted, stepping away from him in shock. Good Thorin thought to himself, he finally touched a nerve.

"Do not call me that" she snaps at the dwarf. He was trying to get under her skin, she knew it. He wanted a reaction but that word _beast_ , oh she hated it, despised it and now the infuriating dwarf knew it.

"Seeing as you seem to be well enough to hassle me you should be well enough to make it to Bree and replace the supplies you lost. Then you can be on your way" a new clean shirt was shoved into his chest none to gently and afterwards boots thrown in his direction. Thorin growled at the woman but snatched up the clothes and stalked away to change. He knew better than to push for more answers now but he would not let this lie. They both knew that.

Still the nerve of the woman, he was a King! And she knew it, but still showed him no respect.

He pulled the shirt on carefully, then the boots, pleased with how his stitches were faring. He was not a healer and had never been good with a needle. Thorin absolutely did not want to have to go back to the woman to get the stiches redone should he tear them again. He didn't want to be more indebted to her than he already was. She was still dangerous and she grated on his patience. Yes the sooner he could leave the better.

"Hurry up Master Dwarf" he heard her call from outside the room "While some of us are still young"

"Insufferable woman" he muttered under his breath but left the room to join her in the doorway. She was wearing a long black cloak lined with thick fur, and with her a tall wooden walking stick. She beckoned for him to follow and for the first time since he had arrived at her home Thorin walked outside. The fresh air felt marvellous, he didn't realise just how stifled he had felt not being able to move about or step outside with his injury. He took a deep breath and savoured it before looking around the home of his host. It was in a large glade with the forest surrounding it on either side. In the distance he could hear the rushing water of the river. The house itself was nothing spectacular, in fact it was rather ordinary in design except for the fact that the design had been scaled up to account for the woman's seven foot height. Built off the side of the house was a small stable and a large fenced off area of the glade where a small herd of horses grazed. There were big and small ones of all different breeds from what he could tell.

While Thorin had been examining his surrounding, Orana had walked off and it was not until he heard the clip clop of horse hooves that he realised.

"This is Chestnut" Orana introduced, leading a shaggy haired chestnut (hence the name) pony towards the dwarf "She's a little spirited but I'm sure you can handle her Master Oakenshield"

Oh she was doing this on purpose. Thorin scowled at the woman but grudgingly accepted the reins from her, ignoring the mischievous glint in her eye.

Very carefully Thorin mounted the pony and released a quite breath of relief when she did not immediately buck him off.

"You are not riding?" he frowned at the woman, who simply shouldered her pack beside him.

"I have yet to find a horse big enough Master Oakenshield. But if you find one, do let me know"

His eyebrow twitched but the dwarf king said nothing. He would not take the bait, he was better than that. Orana looked away hiding a smile; it was rather amusing annoying the dwarf, mostly because it was so easy to do. He also deserved it, ungrateful man that he is, the way Orana saw it he could stand to be taken down a peg or two.

The odd pair continued towards the human village, the trip made much faster by the pony and Orana's long legs made it easy to keep up. Every step the pony took jostled Thorin but his pride refused to let him acknowledge the pain it cause. That was what the woman wanted and he would not give her the satisfaction.

"Are you any more inclined to answer my questions now woman?" Thorin asked as the pair journeyed.

"That depends Master Dwarf" Orana keep her gaze forwards as she spoke "Will you admit you have been an ungrateful guest?"

The dwarf clenched his jaw and released a slow breath. No he would not. It was perfectly within his right to act the way he had considering how close she had come to turning on him. As for being an ungrateful guest, she had not been particularly kind host either.

"That's what I thought" she smirked when he said nothing and the growled in frustration. Insufferable woman, he could not be rid of her soon enough.

As the midday sun came beating down the village of Bree finally came into view. It was nothing spectacular by any means but it was home to these people and that was good enough.

Thorin slowly slipped off the horse and tied the reins to the wooden post at the village entrance.

"Here" he turned to see the woman holding out a handful of coins "Take these and buy what supplies you can with them"

"I don't need your money" Thorin pushed the hand aside with a scowl "I do not need to be more indebted to you than I already am"

Orana matched his scowl with one of her own. She leaned on her staff and looked down at the dwarf

"And what money do you have hmmm? I am trying to help you, you infuriating dwarf"

"I do not need your help woman! Nor do I want it." Thorin thundered, finally losing his already non-existent patience "No one offers their help without expecting something in return"

The woman huffed "Very well, take the money and view it as payment of this so called 'debt'. You can buy your supplies then be on your way"

"I came to Bree for work woman, I cannot simply leave. I have a family to care for" Thorin finally admitted. He needed to work amongst the children of men so that he could feed his own family. Things had been hard for the dwarves and would be for the foreseeable future, at least until the the Blue Mountains was made strong again.

Orana eye widened at the dwarfs outburst before they softened with newfound respect for the dwarf. Insufferable and stubborn he may be, but he cared for his family deeply, she could see it in his eyes. It would have been a hard thing for the once Prince of Erebor to shallow his pride and labour amongst men to feed his family.

"Please, just take it Thorin" the dwarf's head shot up in surprise. That was the first time she had addressed him by his name before.

"For your family and see it as your 'debt' paid" she continued.

Thorin searched her eyes and was surprised to find that they were sincere. She did not want payment only to…help him. It seemed so strange to him that this woman did not expect or want something in return for her aid. Even in Erebor that was simply the way of things, the Elf King's alliance had been forged through the promise of jewels made of starlight. And he had left his people to burn when they had needed him most. But perhaps there was some good left in the world after all.

"I- Thank you" he rumbled quietly tipping his head in thanks. Orana smiled, happy to have finally made a break through with the dwarf. Maybe this would not be as painful as she had originally thought.

"Your welcome" she handed him the coins before stepping back, looking into the village "If you are quick you will still be able to catch the morning markets".

Thorin nodded and followed the woman into deeper into the village. The hustle and bustle of village life was oddly comforting to Thorin after having been confined to the woman's house. But soon all noise had ceased. The villages had all stopped in the middle of their midday work to watch as the odd pair walked by. Thorin grinded his teeth but kept his steely gaze fixed in front of him, ignoring the hushed whispers. If they affected Orana she hid it well; however she had been living here for a long time and may have simply grown used to it.

"I will see you later Master dwarf" she said "I have some of my own business to attend to but I will find you later".

Thorin nodded in agreement and watched as she disappeared into the maze of Bree, leaving him to his own devises. He glared at the crowd around him and they all quickly looked away, going back to their work and pretending nothing had happened. With a sigh he began to gather his new supplies.

It was an hour or so later and Thorin was still browsing the wares of the market. There were all kinds of things, exotic looking food and weapons. Even animals were on display. The dwarf had already filled his pack with new clothes and supplies as well as food that would last. Now he just hoped to find something to take back to little Fili and something for the new dwarfling. He would miss the birth of his new nephew but he was content to know that he could look after them and his sister here. He was also very grateful that Balin was there to look after them in his stead.

He had just picked up a small wooden lion when heavy footsteps broke his concentration. A shadow fell on the dwarf who turned to see a large muscled man standing behind him. Though he was still not as tall as Orana, he came close.

He man seemed to appraise him silently, looking Thorin up and down before nodding

"Dwarf, I heard you're looking for work. That true?" the burly man grunted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Aye, it is" Thorin nodded warily

"Name's Henrick, I'm the blacksmith in the village" he offered Thorin a hand to shake which he accepted "I've been looking for a new hand to take on more of the workload. The wife's just had kids and I need to be with her to help" he told Thorin while he gestured for them to walk. "Dwarven crafting is among the greatest in Middle Earth, rivals the elves it does. Thought I'd come talk to ya, see if you were interested in working for me. I'd pay ya fair, but I've got no room in the house to house you, there's room in the smithy I suppose but otherwise you could hire out a room at the inn". The human scratched his beard as he thought then shrugged, looking back at Thorin

"You interested?"

 **Cliffhanger. Haha not really but this is it for the moment. I will update as soon as I can and don't worry I have ever intention of finishing this story, it may take a while but I will finish it.**

 **Any reviews and feedback is always welcome and appreciated, I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story so far.**

 **Hopefully there'll be a new chapter soon but until then, have a great day lovelies :).**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello lovelies! I just want to say that I'm sorry for not having updated in so long. I've a lot of assignments to do recently but hopefully the next one will be a bit more on time. Also someone reviewed earlier (you know who you are) about how tall Orana was. The reason she is so tall does have something to do with what she is, but also because I've read a lot of fanfictions where the OC is shorter or the same height as Thorin. Now that's great, I love a tall guy but I wondered what would happen if the OC was taller? And then exaggerate it and you get Orana with hilarity ensuing later on in the story.**

 **Anyway here's your chapter :)**

Henrick had taken lead the dwarf king back to the Blacksmith so that Thrown could look at the equipment and decide whether he wanted to work for the man. On the way Henrick explained why it was that he needed a new pair of hands around the place. His wife has just given birth to twins and wanted to stay as close as possible to her so that he could help in any why he was able. It reminded Thorin of his own nephew, and soon to be new one. He missed his family, more than he would let on but he was happy enough knowing that they were safe and that he could provide for them from here.

"Well? Henrick asked "What do ya think?"

"When can I start?" Thorin asked the man who beamed and slapped him heartily on the shoulder

"How's tomorrow eh? It'll give you some time to get everything sorted and get your stuff from Orana's"

"How did you know I was staying with her?" Thorin asked and the tall man snorted

"Everyone knows. It ain't every day we see Orana come into town and never with anyone"

Thorin couldn't help the pink that coloured his cheeks at the man's implication

"It is not like that" he snapped quickly "I was attacked by Orcs on the road. She found me and looked after me while I healed"

That certainly sobered the man

"Well that sounds like Orana. She don't deserve the treatment she gets round here. She's a good person, she saved this town"

"Who is she?" it was a simple question that nobody seemed to be able to answer. It was beginning to test Thorin's patience and he was not a patient dwarf by nature.

"Orana's pretty tight lipped 'bout anything 'bout her. I don't think she'd take to kindly to me telling you what I know" Henrick said carefully which made Thorin scowl

"Surely I have the right to know at least something about the person who saved my life? At least to know why she puts up the treatment that she does because of you humans"

Henrick raised his hands in mock surrender "'lright, 'lright I'll tell ya. It's probably better you hearing it from me instead of someone else. They'll fill your head with lies these people. Henrick shook his head. Sometimes he couldn't believe how horrible people could be to one another.

"Well Orana's been livin' on the outskirts of Bree for about a decade" the man said "You see, before she turned up, we had to worst winter I think we've ever had. The river was our only protection but because it was so cold it froze solid. Orcs crossed over the river and attacked the town. They slaughtered our livestock, raped our woman and killed everyone they came across" Henrick's eyes darkened as he remembered. He had been younger then, much younger but he could remember it like it was yesterday. They came every night for weeks, the villagers only just able to hold them off to avoid their extinction. But none of them had been warriors and it seemed that they were doomed to fail.

"Then one day Orana came strollin' into town. We had no idea who she was, or better yet what she was. I still don't mind you. But the day she came the orc attacks stopped" Henrick glanced over to Thorin who rose a sceptical eyebrow with his arms across his chest

"That sounds more like a fairy tale than the truth"

"Oh aye, that it does, but it's true every word of it" Henrick said pointedly "I don't know how, and gods help me I don't care but I do know that she saved us that night, and has kept this town safe ever since".

A woman passing by the forge overheard their conversation and scoffed "Henrick, you don't know what you're talking about. That thing ain't our saviour. It's a beast in a women's skin I'm telling you"

Henrick rolled his eyes

"Don't start Belinda" the man crossed his arms "I know very well your view point on the matter"

The dwarf raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gossip had to start from somewhere and he had to admit that he was…. intrigued. She was something he had never come across before and while he had some theories as to what race she belonged to, he had nothing solid.

"You know Henrick" the woman hissed "You know as well as I that she ain't human"

"Well of course she isn't" Henrick scoffed "You ever seen a human that's over seven foot tall?"

The woman rung her hands together, biting her lip "I know you can hear the noises. Everyone can"

Henrick seemed to falter then and the woman pressed on

"Horrible, beastly sounds. They aren't human, they aren't of this world." Suddenly the womans eyes hardened "And they come from her house during the night. We have a monster living on our doorstep. We should have gotten rid of her years ago, after the orcs were defeated"

"And what then hmmm?" Henrick questioned "Orana keeps the orcs away, what happens when she's gone and they come back. We'll all be slaughtered. God knowns why she stays, having to put up with superstitious fools like you"

Belinda huffed, then turned her beady eyes to Thorin

"You've been there, in her house" she pointed at him "Tell me you didn't hear the noises, tell me she didn't attack you"

"She did no such thing" Thorin snapped. He had heard enough. This reminded him of how the humans had first treated the dwarves and still did. When they had gold and riches they were welcomed with open arms but when they had no such offerings and came to them begging for food and shelter? They were turned away and left to starve.

"That woman had no reason to help me when she did but she chose to. She had no reason to house and care for me even when I was ungrateful and arrogant" Thorin's deep voice boomed the angrier he became "You are pathetic to treat someone so basely after they have done so much for you!"

Poor Belinda looked like she's never had anyone speak against her in her life. She stood there gaping like a fish out of water. The nerve! Did this dwarf not know who she was! She was the wife of the mayors son! She could have him thrown out of Bree for his insolence. Before she had a chance to voice any of her threats the dwarf glared at her once more

"Why are you still here woman? Haven't you said enough?"

Belinda huffed and turned her nose up at the pair before turning on her heel and….

walked straight into Orana.

"I heard my name" the woman smiled down at the trembling woman, showing off her wickedly sharp teeth "I hope you were speaking well of me?"

After a moment of spluttering nonsense, the woman hiked up her skirts and ran off like the devil itself was at her back. In her opinion it probably was. The thought made Orana chuckle slightly

"You don't help yourself girl" Henrick scolded lightly while shaking his head

"Girl?" Orana huffed leaning on her staff "I am over three thousand years old. I am not a girl"

Thorin's head snapped around "Three thousand?" he spluttered

Orana laughed "I always forget that it's strange to others. How old are you?"

"One hundred and sixteen"

Orana's eye widened in surprise "That's a child to my people!" she exclaimed in shook

"I can assure you I am not a child" Thorin growled, a deep frown marring his features

"Forgive me" Orana passified "I did not mean I offend" she grinned again however and Thorin suddenly dreaded whatever she was about to say.

"Perhaps I should call you _naqis ato"_ she grinned, looking entirely too pleased with herself. He almost dreaded to ask what the foreign words meant.

"What does it mean?"

"Little one" she snickered. If she had been anyone else she would have been dead, the way Thorin was glaring at her. But then again it was hard to be intimidated by someone so short. The thought made her snort and shake her head while Thorin continued to scowl.

"Is there a reason you're here woman? Or is it just to aggravate me?"

Orana smiled "I'm sorry, I won't call you that again. I just couldn't resist"

Thorin rolled his eyes at the strange woman but couldn't help the smile tugging at his own lips.

"I am going to the Prancing Pony. I wondered if you were feeling hungry yet as well?"

It was only now when she mentioned it that he realised that he was indeed hungry.

"Aye" he nodded

"You're welcome to come along as well Henrick" Orana offered

"Best not" the man said "I should get back to the wife and kids"

Orana nodded in understanding "Give them my best then".

The man waved them goodbye as the pair headed off to the Prancing Pony. It was a small inn that smelt like ale and piss, but it had good enough food. It also helped that it was the only inn for miles around.

As soon as they stepped through the doors Orana knew it had been a bad idea to come

"Oh" she sighed as she spied Maugrim sitting at the bar with his brothers. He was a skinny, hooked nosed man who looked like his gene pool was just a little too small. His greasy hair shone in the dim lighting but he hadn't seen them yet.

"Thorin, lets go"

The dwarf turned to her confused but by then it was too late. He saw her face fall then set itself in a cool and indifferent mask as she addressed someone behind him

"Maugrim. I'd like to say it's always a pleasure but I don't like to tell falsehoods"

The mans sneered at her before his eyes trailed down to Thorin at her side

"You the new dwarf in town?"

Thorin clenched his fists "Are there any that I'm not aware of?"

"You insulted my wife" he jabbed a boney finger at Thorin's chest "You best apologise or things will get very hard for you here dwarf"

"You don't have that kind of power and we know it Maugrim" Orana sighed, clearly unimpressed by his theatrics "Your father is the mayor, not you"

"He won't live forever" Maugrim hissed, stepping forwards into the woman's personal space, daring her to respond.

A low growl rumbled through the inn, silencing everyone. Orana stood over Maugrim, her eyes glowing like embers while her lips curled showing a threatening display of teeth

"Maugrim. If you don't remove yourself from my sight in the next ten seconds, I will not be held responsible for what happens next"

The dwarf prince saw the moment when the greasy man seemed to realise it was not an idle threat. He gulped, going white as a sheet before casting a glance around at the others in the inn. They had long since forsaken him, not even his brothers looked like they would come to his aid.

"This is not over" he hissed at her, then jerked his head and led his companions out of the tavern.

Thorin grinned widely but it died on his lips when he looked over to Orana. Her head was bowed and the low growl had not silenced. She was clenching and unclenching her fists, desperately trying to stay in control. Remember the poem, the one little Lyn used to sing. She took a deep breath and repeated the words.

 _The woods are lovely, dark and deep but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep_.

With each word she could feel the tension slowly draining away and her beast return to its slumber. She finally opened her eyes to see Thorin watching her in concern

"Are you well?"

She offered him a small smile "Yes. I'm fine now. Especially now that the offensive smell of Maugrim is gone"

Thorin chuckled at that and the two continued on as if nothing had happened.

When they sat down Thorin finaly asked the question that had been annoying him for so long

"Did you have anything to do with my suddenly finding work?"

"I may have call in a favour" Orana said evasively "I introduced him to his wife"

"Then I suppose I should thank you" the dwarf groused, but the small twitch of his lips gave him away.

"I suppose you should" Orana laughed.

A barmaid come by just then and set down two plates or sausages and potatoes in front of them as well as a mug of ale for each. Her hands were shaking as she did and her eyes never did leave Oranas. The poor woman was terrified.

"Ah thank you" Orana smiled at her but the woman only squeaked and darted away. Huffing a breath the woman rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the dwarf opposite her.

"Is that for one of your little ones?"

Thorin glanced up in confusion at the woman, who gestured to the small wooden lion sitting on the table. Thorin had forgotten about it, to his chagrin.

"Aye" he nodded, picking up and gazing at it fondly "For Fili. He's still just a young dwarfling but he likes lions"

The expression on Orana's face was warm but wistful and she nodded her head. She loved children, they reminded her about her own young siblings and of happier times. Thorin glanced up and noted the silent longing in her eyes, he watched her thoughtfully before he continued

"I'll be missing the birth of the other little one, he's due to be born in the spring"

Orana smiled widely "You must be very proud"

Thorin did smile then, a proper smile and it was one that made him look much younger, as if the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders

"Aye, very proud"

"And your wife, she must be a beauty"

Thorin spluttered into his mug when he heard the question and Orana thumped him on the back when he continued to cough

"I'm not married" he croaked, a slight pick tinge colouring his cheeks, suddenly remembering Henrick's assumption earlier.

"Oh, forgive me I just assumed" Orana quickly said but Thorin waved his hand dismissively with a small grin

"It's fine. No, they are my nephews, my sisters' children"

"Well in any case" Orana continued, still somewhat flustered "I'm sure you will see them soon" she assured and Thorin gave her a thankful smile for her words.

"I will continue to the Blue Mountains in spring to see them, maybe before then for Durin's Day. Staying here was always going to be temporary, just long enough for me to earn almost a year's coin then re-join my family"

"I had expected you to stay longer"

If Thorin didn't know any better he'd have said that Orana sounded slightly…disappointed. He was not sure why that would be so, they hadn't known each other for very long. Perhaps it was because they were similar in the fact that they were surrounded by people and yet very alone. Thorin the only dwarf in Bree and Orana the only of her race here also. And from what Thorin could put together it had been that way for a long time.

"What of your family?" Thorin asked, suddenly prompted by his thoughts.

Orana stared down into her mug; the wooden cup looking very small in her large hands.

"As I'm sure you realised by now I'm from the East. My family was a small group of…eh I forget the word in your language….nomads. I was an only child. It is hard for my people to have children and more than one is considered very rare"

Thorin listened, intrigued. He hoped that she would give away some clue as to what she was, as it was clear that she would not give it up without a fight.

"I lost my parents at a young age but I had my clan so I eventually moved on. When I was older we had to leave the East. It was getting more and more dangerous every day because of infighting among groups of the other humans. When we came here we had never seen so much green" she chuckled as she remembered her amazement "And no sand anywhere, it was so strange. There were so many strange races, all so varied and you all spoke in such odd languages" Thorin laughed as she recounted her tale and tried to imagine Orana as a child but he gave up soon after. He just couldn't picture her shorter than him.

"A long time after that, I eventually became the clan leader, like my parents before me. It was soon after that that I stumbled across little Lyn" It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to talk about Lyn, or even think about her. The happiness from moments ago was long gone now as the memory resurfaced.

"Lyn was an orphan" Orana explained with a strained voice and a tightening grip on her mug "I took her in and treated her like she was my own flesh and blood. She was like a sister to me, or maybe a daughter. Perhaps both" Yellow eyes burned with fury as she continued "Orcs came and I wasn't there to protect them and then I was captured because of my own foolishness"

The mug gave a splintering protest and Orana immediately relaxed her hold. Yellow eyes levelled with stony grey ones and she took a slow breath to calm herself.

"A good friend of mine who helped me after my escape calls it 'post-traumatic stress'. I get flashbacks and nightmares about my imprisonment. What you saw last night and just before was a defence mechanism I developed while I was there and haven't been able to get rid of. It's why I live so far away from everyone because I can't control it"

"And it's why you stay so close" Thorin realized "So you can help them"

Orana nodded solemnly "I've got a lot of blood on my hands Thorin. Helping people is the only way I don't drown in it"

 **AN: Oh Orana, you've had a tough life. And it's not going to get any easy just yet MAHHAHAHAHA. Anyway please review to tell me what you guys think. It really helps and I'd love to make sure Thorin is in character. He can be pretty hard to write so any tips you have or feedback would be great.**

 **Have a great day Lovelies :)**

 **TeamToster**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello lovelies! The chapter is actually on time this week haha! Any way this chapter was supposed to be quite a bit longer but I hit some major writers block :/.**

 **Anyway, more Thorin and Orana interaction in this chapter and their gonna have a bit of a 'moment' in the coming chapters if you get my meaning haha so for any of those who are dying for them to actually do something...you might have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid, both characters are stubborn and Orana is very messed up in the head to let someone get so close but it will happen, i promise :)**

Many things happened in the next few months. Thorin's work at the forge kept him busy but it felt good to work metal again. There was something relaxing about it and it reminded Thorin of his home and family. While he wasn't happy that he was labouring for ungrateful men, he enjoyed working with Henrick and had struck up a strong bond with the man.

The winter months had rolled in early and Durin's day had come and gone. With Bree in the icy grips of winter Thorin would not see his family until spring.

Orana frequently braved the icy weather on extended hunting trips, sometimes disappearing for weeks at a time to return to the village with meat for the villages. The meat she brought in surely saved them all but very few had stopped to thank her. Thorin did not understand why she did it, he remembered her words in the inn from months ago but he still could not fathom why she felt like she owed these people anything. Dwarves were hardy folk, it was very rare for one of them to…what it was that Orana suffered. After wars Dwarves drunk and danced and mourned their dead and they persevered. Orana was…different in a way that Thorin could not relate to. Dwarves were a very headstrong race and he supposed that assuredness in his actions was a blessing when it to dealing with the 'what happens next'. Orana did not have this ability to 'bounce back'. She was perceptive in a way that few were and perhaps Thorin even less. She could see when she was wrong; she could see what was happening to herself, the slow decline to madness.

He could think of no greater burden than seeing and understanding the evils of the world and the flaws in ones' self. To carry the weight of every decision; of every action and see the nightmare that was once her life. And yet despite it all, despite dragging herself out of the nightmare; to still feel the chains that tied her to it and make her feel as if she had to grovel for a right to live in this world after everything. He could not fathom it, could not even begin to grasp the weight of it all. When he had lost Erebor he had had his family to lean on, when he lost his grandfather, brother and shortly afterwards his father, Thorin thought it had broken him. But he looked to Dis and knew he needed her now more than ever and he pulled himself out of the grips of despair.

The woman had no one but had managed to put herself back together again. But the shards were still brittle and could shutter at any moment. Thorin had seen it in her sometimes when they sat together on the steps of the forge, sharing a pipe between them. The embers of the pipe had eliminated the bags beneath her eyes, the gauntness of her cheeks. She caught him watching and had flashed him a smile. He had returned it and accepted the pipe passed to him, mollified by the fact that he could keep an eye on her.

"Dwarf"

Thorin's head snapped up from the forge and came to rest on Maugrim.

"I need this sword repaired. You'll have it done by the end of tomorrow" he sneered at the dwarf while Thorin glowered at the man

"I have other orders, yours will have to wait. It will be done by the end of the week"

"That is not acceptable"

Maugrim jumped at the loud bang Thorin's hammer caused as he tossed it aside and stalked towards the man.

"It will be done by the end of the week" he barked. Then plucked the sword from the man' stunned hands and set it on the bench behind him.

"Now get out of my forge"

Maugrim's face scrunched in indignation but he thankfully stalked away with nothing more to add. Thorin shook his head, braids clinking as he did. That man was nothing but trouble, one day it would wind up getting someone killed.

Thorin wandered to the back of the forge and picked up his latest completed order. It was from the mayor, a necklace he had given his wife when they were married. He wanted it repaired so he could give it to his daughter Elaine, Henricks wife for their first year anniversary. It had apparently caused quite the scandal when they had first announced their engagement, especially as Elaine was already promised to another and the fact that she was marrying a lowly blacksmith. Far from being angry her father had simply said he was happy that she married someone she loved.

Thorin still couldn't believe that someone as sweet as Elaine was related to Maurgim.

Tucking it into his pocket he departed for the mayors' house. The snow had been falling steadily for hours now and blanketed the streets in soft white, giving the normally dreary town a more ethereal look.

There were few people about in the cold and of those most were heading indoors due to the cold. They paid Thorin little mind as he trudged on. At last he reached the mayors house and knocked on the door and he was surprised to find that it was Elaine who opened the door.

"Thorin!" she smiled widely, ushering him in "Come in, come in. You'll catch your death out there"

"I assure you my lady, I will be quite fine" he chuckled "I need to see your father, is he available?"

Elaine rubbed her hands down the front of her dress nervously

"That is why I am here. This winter has not been kind to him and his health is getting worse"

"I am sorry to hear that"

"As am I"

Elaine suddenly shook herself and smiled at the dwarf again "Come, this way you have caught him on a good day. I am sure he will be glad to see you"

Thorin nodded and obediently followed behind the woman to one of the back rooms. When he rounded the corner he was surprised to find Orana sitting in the room already, occupying a chair that looked far too small for her. He had not even realised she was back from her latest hunting trip. They exchanged silent nods before both of their attention turned back to the man laying upright in the bed. The mayor looked frailer than Thorin had ever seen him before. His cheeks were sunken in as well as his eyes. His skin looked sickly pale and he shook when he moved. However as soon as his eyes feel upon Thorin his eyes lit up and he cracked a wide smile. Thorin found himself thinking that perhaps the man was not so far gone as everyone thought.

"Ah master dwarf" he wheezed and pulled himself up higher in the bed so he was sitting up straight "I would stand but…" he gestured at his current state.

"I have your order" Thorin said quietly but load enough that the man could hear. Another smile split across his face and he gestured for the necklace which Thorin handed over carefully. The mayor stared at the intricate silver and sapphire pendant with such reverence that Thorin felt as though he was intruding on something personal. He glanced over at Orana who was watching the interaction with a gentle smile on her face. She looked the very picture of happily relaxed, something he had never seen her be. She could his stare and smiled at him and it was only then that he realised that he too was smiling.

"You are excellent in your craft master dwarf" the mayor breathed, and the moment was over. Thorin quickly turned back to the Mayor and nodded his thanks "It looks exactly as it did twenty years ago" the mayor quickly turned to Orana "Would you mind fetching Elaine my dear"

"Not at all" Orana answered and stood from the chair, quietly leaving the room and Thorin and the Mayor alone.

"I hear that you will not be with us for much longer master dwarf" the mayor said suddenly

"Aye it's true, I continue on to the Blue Mountains in spring"

"A shame" the mayor sighed "But I cannot begrudge you for it. You've been away from your family a long time"

Thorin looked away to the floor "Aye" he said quietly. It had been a long time since he had seen them. There was very little chance of him being there with Dis for the birth of his second nephew but he kept the wooden lion he brought from the market with him at all times as a reminder. Sometimes he'd take it out just to look at it and remind himself that soon he'd see them again.

It was then that Orana returned with Elaine in tow. Thorin stepped back to allow Elaine passed and he and Orana stood to the side watching while the father presented his daughter with the necklace. Orana smiled fondly when Elaine began to cry happy tears and threw her arms around her father.

"Your heart is too soft woman" Thorin said gruffly but without malice or contempt. It was also quiet enough that only Orana could hear him

"And yours is to hard" she snorted

He rolled his eyes but smirked slightly "What are you even doing here?"

"I came to give some herbs I found on my hunt to Elaine, they should hopefully work wonders for her father"

She glanced down at Thorin and noticed his serious expression. He did not look away when he said

"You cannot save everyone"

Orana took a deep breath, slightly unnerved that he could read her so well. It made her want to bolt, to run as far away as she could and build a wall around her so high that not even the sun would be able to see her. It was dangerous for someone to know you so well; it gave them more ways to hurt you, even unintentionally. It also meant that when they eventually died, like they all did it would hurt her to, for losing someone she had let get so close.

Thorin watched the war of emotions flicker across her face until she finally whispered "I can try"

 **So what do you think? Leave a review and let me know. Also thank you to everyone who has followed an favourited this story, I'm glade you like it. Have a good day dear readers!**

 **Team Toster**


	6. Chapter 6

"Why are we here?"

"Because it's Elaine and Henricks' anniversary and as their friends we are obliged to help them celebrate"

Orana huffed at Thorin and took another swig from her mug of ale while Thorin simply chuckled at her attitude. They sat in the Prancing Pony, packed in with half of Bree who were all celebrating the happy couple's anniversary. People were laughing, dancing and singing and a merry tune was being played in the background. It reminded Thorin of dwarven celebrations, though there was normally much more ale and food.

"I don't like crowds" Orana muttered as she surveyed the party goers wearily, perched on the edge of her seat ready to flee or attack at a moment's notice.

"You don't like anyone" Thorin pointed out with a smug grin

"That's not true" she grumbled "I'm here aren't I?"

Thorin snorted and shook his head slightly "It is not like you had anything to do"

Orana sniffed "How do you know?" she asked indignantly. Thorin rose an eyebrow at her and shot her a knowing look

"Because I know you woman. You live out in the middle of nowhere like a hermit. There's nothing to do out there in the woods"

"There's plenty to do thank you very much" she defended with a frown "In fact there was something rather important I needed to do tonight but then Elaine cornered me and here I am"

"And you're so very happy about it to" Thorin grinned into his mug, ignoring the annoyed look she shot him.

"It is strange. I am normally the one protesting against gatherings if it were in my home" Thorin told her "Though those gatherings were political. Trade deals or marriage related" the dwarf shuddered at the thought of them. They were always so lifeless and dull as were the people there. But his father and grandfather had always dragged him to them as it was his duty as the prince of Erebor. Frerin managed to weasel out of most of them as he was the younger brother, the lucky bugger.

"Oh?" Orana's interest had been peaked "I was under the impression that dwarves enjoyed big celebrations and parties"

"Aye we do, just not those ones" he winced and Orana's grin widened

"Were you often involved in these large celebrations? A dwarrowdam on each arm as you departed for the night perhaps?" she teased and was delighted by the faint blush that rose on Thorin's cheeks beneath his beard. Two could play at that game however

"Only two? No, three on average, my good lady" he rumbled, with a smug smile that oozed with male pride.

"I had no idea you were such a heartbreaker in your youth my friend" Orana laughed

"I am not that old" Thorin grumbled at her and she snorted

"No you are not. Compared to me you are just a babe"

Thorin ignored her comment and the two fell into a content silence.

The night stretched on Orana got more and more tense. There were too many people packed into this tiny space and the excited energy made her hackles rise. All the people crushed together, no space between them. The clogging smell of ever person's scent in the room, overshadowed by the smell of old vomit and piss. All of it had evaporated the earlier carefree mood. She had only intended to stay a little while before she began to get overwhelmed but she had taken one look at Elaine's pleading face and she knew she would stay for as long as she could. She glanced over at Thorin and noticed the wistful look in his eyes and remembered how long it had been since he had seen his family. A gathering like this was sure to make him homesick and so she felt herself hunkering down and made a mental note to breathe through her mouth from now on.

"There isn't enough ale to get me through this night" she muttered to herself staring down at her empty mug which seemed comical small in her large hands.

"You've had five already" Thorin noted, having heard her quite lamentation

"It takes a lot more than that for me to even get remotely drunk" she sighed and set the mug down. "I wish I had my pipe"

"Why?"

"It helps me relax" she shot him a wry smile. Thorin snapped to full attention, understanding the meaning behind her words.

"Do you want to step outside?" he asked worried

"No" Orana quickly waved away his concern "I haven't even given my well wishes to the happy couple yet"

Thorin scrutinised her for a moment. She seemed to be in control and her breathing was normal. His intense gaze looked to see whether or not she was being sincere and slowly Orana nodded at him. She was in control; and he allowed himself to relax again.

Before he could question her further the inn began to quieten down and the two turned to see the Mayor step forward. He was still shaking but he had regained the colour he had lost in his cheeks. Thorin glanced over at the woman beside him and saw that she looked immensely pleased. He turned his attention back to the man with a small smile of his own.

"I will keep this brief" the mayor said "I just wanted to say how happy I am for my dear Elaine and her husband Henrick. Two beautiful daughters and a love that can inspire and conquer anything". He then turned to the couple themselves "I am blessed to have lived long enough to see my daughter fall in love and I know your mother would be so proud"

Elaine wiped tears from her eyes and rushed forward to hug her father who patted her on the back with a warm smile

"Now, now my dear this is a happy occasion. No tears now. Besides, I do believe it is time for you and your husband to dance".

She stepped away from him and nodded before the musicians started up again, a lively tune perfect for dancing. Henrick and Elaine stepped forward and began to dance together in the circle the crowd had created.

Thorin glanced over at Orana to see her looking at the pair with warmth and her lips upturned in a small smile. She looked…content, relaxed in a way he had not seen her before, in the presence of these two friends whose love was so plain to see that even the blind could tell.

"Are you glad you stayed now?" Thorin asked quietly and the woman turned to him and nodded

"Love like that doesn't come around every day" she said "that's true love, soulmates"

Thorin nodded in agreement

"Do dwarves believe in soulmates?" Orana asked surprising Thorin

"Of course. Though we do not call it soulmates, we refer to them as our One. My father always used to say that as soon as he saw mother he knew that she was his One" Thorin laughed at the memory "Though mother had other ideas. It took months for my father to win her heart but he did and I have never seen two people more right for each other"

Orana smiled and leaned back in her chair "my people call it _'shekh ma shieraki anni'_ and ' _Jalan atthirari anni'_ which the closest translation I can give you means 'my sun and star' said to the man and 'moon of my life' said to the woman. Supposedly we feel it" Orana put her hand on her chest "in here. But I know that like your parents it wasn't immediate. My mother and father despised each other for the longest of times I'm told. They couldn't stand to be near one another until an Oliphant hunt went wrong and there were the only survivors left in the desert, leagues from our village. They had to work together and fell in love along the way. But it's much stronger than that. For our people, once you have found and accepted you're One, it binds you together forever. Two souls become one. It's quite beautiful in a heart breaking way. It's one of the reasons my people's population was always so small. If one partner dies, so does the other the bond is so strong".

"I did not know such a thing could exist" it was the only thing Thorin could think to say. His chest felt odd too, like something was pressing on it. Unconsciously he rubbed his hand across the spot.

"Love like that is hard to come by" Orana agreed, looking back at the couple who continued to dance "My people just like to be dramatic I suppose" the joke sounded flat even to her but Thorin did not notice he was too busy brooding. Over what Orana could not tell.

Much later on in the evening, Orana was thankful to finally be leaving. She had given the happy couple her blessings and bid them goodnight before finally walking out the door. She had gotten no more than a few steps before she was stopped again

"Woman where do you think you're going?"

"Home master dwarf" she called over her shoulder "I am old; I simply can't keep up with you young people these days"

Thorin snorted and the two began to walk towards their respective homes

"Thorin"

The dwarf looked over to the woman beside him and was surprised to see all mirth gone, replaced by a serious expression.

"I do not know if you have noticed, but things are coming to a head in Bree"

He had noticed, it was hard not to. Maugrim and his brothers had been continually causing trouble and promoting fear and suspicion through-out the town. Livestock was being slaughtered, by wolves it looked like but the rumours has been circling that it was wargs, which meant orcs, which meant that Orana was not doing her 'duty' to protect the village as promised. Not to mention that the old mayor was exactly that, old. He would not live forever and Thorin dreaded to think what would happen when the old man finally passed on. Especially because the title would then be passed to Maugrim, as the oldest son.

"What of it?" he rumbled back quietly

"I think that you should visit your family sooner rather than later" she said "get out while you can Thorin, before you are dragged any further into this"

"I will not run away" he snapped which caused Orana to huff in annoyance

"Then call it a tactical retreat. At least until things settle"

"I will think on it" Thorin muttered.

The two were nearing the edge of town and the forge when Orana stopped. Thorin turned and gave her a quizzical look but she head up her hand and shook her head with a frown. She cocked her head listening for something but she heard nothing. She relaxed

"nevermin-"

She cut off abruptly and roared in sudden pain. Thorin was instantly on the defensive as two men came at him from the shadows of the alleyway. The first one swung his sword in a wide arc at the dwarfs head but he ducked the blow and twisted behind him, hitting the man in the arm as he did. The sword clattered to the ground and Thorin quickly snatched it up and ran through the man's stomach. He gurgled and then slid off the metal hitting the ground with a thump.

Meanwhile three other men had gotten hold of Orana, holding her down with all their might. The attack had surprised her and they had pushed the advantage and gotten her down quickly. Blood was seeping in a steady stream down her back where the throwing dagger had struck her, but she had no idea how serious the injury was at this point. Muscles straining, she threw one man off her arm, sending him careening into the side of a house where he didn't get up again. The man on her left quickly got hold of a second dagger and plunged it into her thigh, making her scream in anger and pain. Her free hand was around his neck in an instant. The man screamed in horror as she dug in her claws and pulled. There was a wet tearing sound and the man twitched before dropping to the ground, a messy hole where his throat had been. Slowly Orana turned her eyes to the last man, flicking bits of flesh off her fingers as she advanced.

Thorins' second opponent had abandoned the fight to help his friends subdue Orana, who seemed to be the main focus of the attack. Thorin quickly followed him and in one fell swoop, cut his head clean off his shoulders.

She could feel herself slipping, her one good eye she could tell were flickering between glowing and not. The strain on her was making her shake she was trying so hard to stay in control. Slowly she advanced on the last man.

He was white as a sheet and his hands had begun to tremble. He knew he had made a terrible mistake. This thing was a monster. It had torn his friends apart like they were paper and no it was looking at him like he was a nice snack. And the dwarf, he was to good, they'd never stood a chance going up against him.

"Let me go" he begged, dropping his sword "please!"

"Why should I?" Orana's voice was deeper, more guttural as she stalked forward like a predator playing with its prey.

"I have a family" the man whispered. It didn't matter whether or not what he said was true, he would have said anything at this point to save his life

"So did I" was all she said he one glowing eye burning into his soul as she raised her hand to cut him down where he stood.

"Orana" Thorin barked suddenly. She blinked and turned towards him. The dwarf shook his head slowly

"That's enough. Don't prove them right"

Slowly the glow in her eye faded and her hand lowered. She turned back to the man who was still shivering where he stood. The sharp smell of urine and the tell tale wet trail down his trousers made her wrinkle her nose and shoved him away from her

"Tell your employer to stay away, or they'll find their hirelings in pieces".

Thorin wasn't quite sure what happened next. Orana began limping back to him when the man suddenly decided to be a coward no longer, despite being allowed to walk away. He drew a dagger and charged forward to fast for Thorin to get between them. Orana turned just in time for the dagger to go into her side instead of her back like the last one. With a snarl she spun and caught him by the throat with her teeth and to Thorin's shock tore the man's head from his shoulders. The body dropped with a sickening thunk, the head followed soon after.

The woman turned to look at him and Thorin could not help the involuntary movement of lifting up his sword at her. She stared at him with sad eyes, and an even sadder smile as the scarlet blood dripped from her lips and chin

"Are you afraid of me now?" she asked quietly, looking back at the bodies around her. Thorin lowered the sword, eventually dropping it when he saw her sway on her feet. He managed to get an arm around his shoulders before she fell. His other wrapped around her waist was soon wet with her blood.

"We need to get you home" he muttered as he began to haul her down the path.

"You didn't answer my question" she whispered her eyes drooping

"The answer is no" he said firmly "Tonight I think I understand you better than before you insufferable woman"

She chuckled at the odd pet name but it ended in wet cough which made Thorin move faster.

After a long and tiring walk Thorin finally made it to the house. The door was unlocked as it always was and he dragged her over to the oversized armchair and plonked her down on it.

"I was enjoying being carried" Orana joked weakly to which Thorin shot her a quick smile

"Yes well you're heavier than you look my lady"

"That's no way to speak to a lady" she scolded lightly as he came back with a needle and thread which she reached for

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked holding them out of her reach "the wounds are on your back, you cannot reach those"

"I'll manage" she muttered, reached for the needle and thread again but Thorin shook his head

"Stubborn woman, let me help you"

The sincerity of his voice made her think perhaps there was a double meaning to his words but she was too tired to think about it now. She shuffled forward and pulled her shirt over her head so that she was only wearing her breastband.

Thorin stepped around so he could see her back and froze. The tanned skin was littered with scars. The largest and more ragged ones looked like whip lashes. But there were burns, brands and stab wounds as well. Thorin's eyes drifted upwards where he saw another scar around Orana's neck that he had not noticed before. However her shirts always covered the majority of her neck, he had assumed it was to stave off the cold of winter but new he believed it was to cover the scar. A quick glance at her wrists showed the same thing. If he could see her ankles Thorin had no doubt that the same looking scars would be present there as well. They looked like shackle scars, where the metal is to tight around the skin and rubbed constantly. The anger that bubbled in him from seeing the scars surprised him and yet he welcomed it. There were so many, he wouldn't wish this even on his worst enemy. He felt such a sudden and strong urge to protect her that it almost knocked him sideways. He wanted to make sure she never had to suffer like this again but the feelings were completely unfounded. Orana could take care of herself if tonight was any evidence of that.

"Not a word" he heard her say and nodded.

Orana closed her eyes, taking deep and calming breaths. She could still taste the coppery sensation of blood in her mouth and it didn't disgust her as much as it should have. That was what always scared her the most. Yes she was a predator, she had been born one and she knew that the urge to and enjoy the hunt was just a fact of life. However there was a part of her, the dark part of her that had relished scaring that man and the taste of his life as it ebbed away. She enjoyed the fighting, it made her feel powerful after being powerless for so long. When she changed of her own freewill it was fine, nothing like this. It was natural, calming in a way like stretching after a long sleep. But when she had no control of it; that was the problem. Her instincts killed in and it was survival at any cost. She could not separate friend from foe and the entrained urge to kill that had been drilled into her during her captivity came out with a vengeance.

Thinking about it made her head hurt and she slumped forward in defeat. Only Thorin's callused hands working gently over her back kept her anchored. They were big and warm and it was calming in a way that surprised her. No one had ever been able to calm her down like this before. She inhaled softly and was greeted with the scent that was uniquely Thorin. A mix of metal, pine, smoke and tobacco. An odd combination that worked.

She glanced over her shoulder at him while he worked. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his long raven hair spilling down his back and over his shoulder, brushing her skin when he leaned closer to get a better look at the stitching. Orana was struck with the sudden need to know whether his hair was as soft as it looked.

Suddenly the aforementioned dwarf looked up at her, his stony grey eyes catching hers and she looked away suddenly. Stop acting like a youngling; she scolded herself, you're well over 3000 years old so start acting like it.

Thorin however had not looked away. Now in her own home, relaxed, her face had lost the hard edge she showed people. He didn't see it often but when he did he couldn't help but think she was beautiful, even more so in the soft candle light he lit so he could see what he was doing. Even with her scar, it didn't detract from her beauty, in fact he thought it enhanced it. It made her look fierce and strong which indeed she was. He had been noticing these things more and more lately, mostly when they were alone, or when she wasn't looking as strange as that sounded. He found himself fascinated by her eyes most of all. The golden one was flawless like a topaz but the blind one was like marble, or maybe a pearl.

Orana glanced back over her should but came up short when she meet Thorin's intense gaze. It was only then that they realised how close together they were. When Orana's eyes caught his and saw the intensity of his gaze she looked away quickly. Slowly Thorin reached for her face and gently took her chin in his hands to turn her back to him. Orana's eyes were filled with so much saddness as she looked at him. A long moment of silence stretched between them as they looked at each other and Orana allowed herself a moment of weakness. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into Thorin's hand. The dwarf felt the pressure in his chest again, along with a warmth that was foreign to him. In that moment everything was laid bare. He could see every regret, every battle scar, every line that spoke of unbelievable hardships. Gold and white eyes flickered open again and Orana's breath stuck in her throat when she saw the tenderness and affection in Thorin's eyes.

"It's late" she said quietly, unable to look away but Thorin understood that the moment was over. Reluctently he moved away and removed his hand. He could still feel her warmth, while Orana was left missing his.

"Aye" he said just as quietly. It seemed wrong to speak any louder than a whisper.

"You can stay here tonight. After what just happened you shouldn't walk back to Bree by yourself"

After that she stood up. Thorin saw her hesitate, as if she wanted to say something but she just sighed and limped away without a word.

Thorin groaned, running a hand tiredly over his face. What was he doing? He couldn't get involved, he had his duty to his people and that had to come before anything else. But Orana made him feel something that he had thought died with Erebor.

Peace.

This affection had crept up on him, he didn't realise until it was too late. Oh how he desperately wanted to kiss her then. To feel her lips across his own; if they felt as soft as they looked. He realised it was more than that though. What it was he didn't know just yet, but the peace she gave him was something he wasn't willing to give up. She understood him in a way that few could. They both cared for family something fierce, both had lost their homes. Orana could understand his fear of the Gold sickness, though he had never voiced it aloud he knew she understood. He had seen his grandfather be consumed by the greed of gold that it turned him from a noble and great king into a dog foaming at the mouth. And it was in Thorin too and he feared it with every fibre of his being.

He knew now that after tonight everything would be different. He was not sure if Orana had felt the same thing that he had but we has willing to bet that she had. She would run away, he was sure, distance herself from him so he couldn't get to close. The thought of her pulling away from him, after all these months of progress made his chest hurt and he made a decision right there. He wouldn't let her run away, not his time. He would confront her about her feelings towards him, make her give him an answer and well…go from there. Thorin nodded to himself sternly, he would not let her go so easily.

 **Yay! it's finally happening! or is it? haha you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Also in case you didn't know, the language Orana is speaking is Dothraki, from Game of Thrones, I thought it would make sense for it to be dothraki because her people lived in a desert and were also nomadic. So full disclaimer to the creator of the dothraki language, he did an amazing job.**

 **Please leave a review if you enjoyed or have any feedback, it's always great to read the reviews. Hope you stay tuned for another chapter and have a great day!**

 **AN: 9/2/17- I'm sorry this hasn't been updated in such a long time. Rest assured this story hasn't been abandoned, it's under going a massive overhaul. I've been trying to store up a bunch of chapters so i can upload them weekly and still have time to work on them while in Uni and working. Thank you to all people who have read/followed/favourited/reviewed this story. I'm glad you like it and I hope that the new updated version will keep you reading, because looking back at this story some of it is really awful hahahaha.**

 **Thank you again,**

 **TeamToaster**


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